Briefing

Nurses put their lives on the line by caring for people during the SARS
epidemic earlier this year, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) biennial
congress in Geneva has been told. In Taiwan, four nurses died, including two
head nurses and a director of nursing. A nurse in Canada also died.

Nursing Standard, 14 July

Women are worst affected by RA

Women with rapid onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA) tend to deteriorate more
quickly than men. A study reported in the Annals of Rheumatic Disease followed
284 patients with recent onset RA for two years from diagnosis. Although the
men and women in the study had similar average clinical status at onset, the
researchers found the men showed signs of more pronounced improvement and a
more favourable disease course than the women, with regard to functional
abilities.

Nursing Times, 13 July

Link between cancer fatigue and anxiety

Reducing cancer-related fatigue is significantly associated with reductions
in anxiety and depression in anaemic patients with lung cancer, according to
new research in the journal Cancer. A randomised, double-blind,
placebo-controlled trial of darbepoetin alfa in the treatment of anaemia
evaluated changes in depression and anxiety levels and fatigue in 250 lung
cancer patients.